Rumors of Apple’s “iTV” — an own-brand high-definition television Apple is supposedly developing to further its assault on the living room — have been swirling for years now. Rumors pop up all the time that Apple is making headway in its quest to launch a new HDTV line. Then, like clockwork, new rumors come along suggesting that there have been delays and the launch of Apple’s hotly anticipated television has been pushed back. Why does the release of Apple’s HDTV keep getting delayed? As it turns out, it may be because the device simply does not exist.
In his new book titled “Haunted Empire: Apple After Steve Jobs,” Business Insider notes that former Apple reporter Yukari Iwatani Kane shareed an anecdote that, if accurate, suggests that Apple never had any plans to launch a TV.
The book says that one year at Apple’s annual meeting of the top 100 executives in the company, late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs invited colleagues to ask any questions they might have. “You’ve got Steve Jobs sitting right here. You’re my guys, you can ask me anything you want,” Jobs reportedly said. “I don’t care how dumb it is or how insulting it is. I want to make you all feel comfortable about whatever questions you have about the company.”
With rumors of an iTV already swirling, one exec supposedly asked if Apple planned to launch a television. According to Yukari, Jobs didn’t hesitate with his reply.
“No,” the former CEO said. “TV is a terrible business. They don’t turn over and the margins suck.”
Now the only question left is whether or not this news will stop Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster from speculating about it.
